Box Office Preview: 'Sherlock Holmes,' 'Alvin' Installments Kick Off Christmas Parade

ABC"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" ABC has canceled Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.our editor recommendsThe Kardashians Throw Anti-Bullying Rally With Demi Lovato on 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' (Video)'Extreme Makeover' Host Ty Pennington Joins New ABC Daytime Show'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition': Michelle Obama to Guest Star on the ABC Reality Series The network has opted not to move forward with the series in its weekly format, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. ABC, however, will air four special episodes after its current ninth season ends its run on Jan. 13 with its 200th episode. The series, which features host Ty Pennington and a team including designer Michael Moloney visiting and rebuilding the homes of families in need, premiered in 2003 as a 13-part special to 12 million viewers on a Wednesday night, moving to its initial home on Sundays where it became a regular staple for its first eight seasons. The Extreme Makeover spinoff continued to grow, cracking the top 20 in viewership in its second season, averaging 15.8 million viewers per episode as it made its way to visit all 50 states helping veterans, victims of natural disasters, the homeless and foster care and adoption organizations. To date, the team has designed and rebuilt more than 200 homes, in addition to firehouses, schools, daycares and more. ABC moved the series to Fridays this year where it has struggled to attract the same audience -- despite a slate of high-profile guests including first lady Michelle Obama and the Kardashians -- against competition including Fox's Kitchen Nightmares and scripted offerings including A Gifted Man. Its most recent episode, airing against CBS' holiday broadcast of Frosty the Snowman (7.3 million), drew 5.1 million viewers and a 1.3 rating in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic. The decision to air four specials follows a similar model Fox incorporated for America's Most Wanted. The long-running law-enforcement series, hosted by John Walsh, was canceled as a weekly series in May with Fox opting to air four quarterly specials. (Lifetime has since picked up the series for a 25th season.) "It is with a somber heart I close this chapter, but with such excitement I begin the next one," Moloney said in a statement to THR. "I have EM:HE to thank for the platform I have to continue doing good work and great design in 2012 and on." Pennington, meanwhile, has already lined up a new gig, ABC's upcoming daytime health and lifestyle series The Revolution, set to premiere in January. He joins Tim Gunn and Harley Pasternak. Pennington later posted a statement on his Web site thanking the network, fans and those associated with the show for their support for what he called "the greatest job of my life." "I believe the spirit of what we have done across the country for over 200 families will continue to inspire," he wrote. It has been an honor to work side by side with the EMHE families, builders, and thousands of volunteers who have proven that good hearts can and do change the world." The series has earned two Emmys for outstanding reality program in its nine-year run, with another year of eligibility to go. Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit ABC Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

CG tools help 'Rio' soar

Published: Thu., 12 ,. 8, 2011, 4:00am PTBy 'Rio'With tropical wild birds -- as well as their colorful plumage -- in the forefront, "Rio" depended on obtaining the CG down perfect, states director Carlos Saldanha. "Despite the fact that we'd done fur before, we needed to perform a large amount of innovation and develop lots of proprietary technology, like a special tool known as Voxel. Rather than just getting one hair follicle, we'd one which sprouts to many, creating the sense of the feather, therefore we increased it for the entire body (using) lots of controls to simulate the wind and elements."Further complicating things further was the truth that all individuals down were not only for the wild birds, but in addition for costumes in crowd moments. "The Circus parade has over 40,000 figures, so there is lots of technical try to make certain everything made and looked right," Saldanha reviews. "We put that in the center of production therefore we did not get hit with last-minute problems."As though that were not challenging enough, Saldanha continues, "we needed to build this version of Rio, with the people and cars and structures, and so the surrounding forests and jungle. Rio has very distinctive variety pathways, and that we built an application tool especially for your. It is a constant evolution of tools, most of which we designed for the 'Ice Age' films. Blue Sky's most likely the only real studio that really uses radio-city and ray tracing to provide our films that unique look. Our next films, 'Ice Age 4' and 'Leafman,' have previously achieved positive results in the R&D we did about this.Inch EYE Around The Academy awards: ANIMATION Animated photos boost property valuesWhether focusing on a shoestring hands-attracted project or pushing the limits laptop or computer-produced technology, the 2011 choices transformed major challenges in getting their animated visions to screen. Here's how:'Arthur Christmas' 'Chico and Rita' 'Gnomeo and Juliet' 'Rango' 'Wrinkles' 'Rio' Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com